freelancer

Employers' organization AWVN wants to make it mandatory for freelancers, entrepreneurs and other self-employed to have occupational disability cover. The AWVN will present this plan at a conference on Monday, Trouw reports.

Compulsory disability insurance for self-employed and freelancers has long been a point of dispute between employers and trade unions. Trade unions warn of the risk that the growing group of self-employed in the Netherlands form, while employers argued that self-employed should be able to decide for themselves how they spend their income.

Freelancers in the Netherlands are finally starting to benefit from the growing economy. This year the average hourly rate paid to a freelancer is 46 euros, 7 percent higher than last year, according to a study by Hoofdkraan.nl.

The Dutch economy is growing steadily and is expected to continue growing in the next two years, but employees in the Netherlands are not sufficiently benefiting from this growth, the OECD - the global organization that examines the social and economic policy of its member countries - said in its report on the state of the Netherlands economy, NOS reports.

The VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie are now really very almost done with their government agreement, ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Segers said to NOS on Friday afternoon. But he thinks the four parties will have to meet again on Monday.

There will be no meetings over the weekend. The ChristenUnie respects the Sunday rest. "And on Saturday I have other plans", Segers said to the broadcaster.

The new Dutch government is implementing an hourly minimum wage of between 15 and 18 euros for meal deliverers, cleaners and other freelancers or self-employed who work at a low rate, RTL Nieuws reported after getting a look at the VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie's plans for freelancers.

Dutch benefits agency UWV wrongly refused to pay maternity leave to pregnant self-employed women and now has to make sure they get "appropriate compensation", the Central Council of Appeals ruled on Thursday in a case about three women who gave birth in 2005, ANP reports.

Many Dutch self-employed and freelancers, for whom the bulk of their income come from these activities, don't pay income tax. Thanks to a set of deductions, the first 24 thousand euros of their income is untaxed, according to an analysis Statistics Netherlands published on Monday.

Workers let go before July 1 will be offered an additional compensation package, ING announced on Wednesday. The bank ruffled feathers with its plan to release workers by the end of June, beating out enforcement of new rules requiring severance pay for those working on temporary and flexible contracts.

So-called flex workers operating under flexible working contracts are less satisfied with their jobs and lives than the people holding a permanent working contract, concludes the report of the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). Flex workers are also less satisfied with the pay, training and career opportunities in the organization compared to the permanent staff.

Freelancers should be obliged to save for their own retirement and company employees should be given more power over the amount of their pensions, writes the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) as a contribution to the national pension debate.

Last year more than 150,000 people in the Netherlands started a company, which is an increase of 13 percent compared to 2012. This is evidenced by figures, published by the Chamber of Commerce on Monday.